In 1999, Sharon “Shari” Apgar of Clermont County, Ohio, turned a new leaf. The 32-year-old had recently filed for divorce, become sober, and even begun a new job.
So, with a 16-year-old son named Joshua at home, Sharon was eager to build a bright future for her family. By late fall of that year, though, everything changed.
On November 18, 1999, Sharon spent the evening at her mother’s home in Newtonsville, Ohio. Her mom, Patty Nause, still had custody of Joshua at the time– and she had been living with her mother since filing for divorce.
Later that night, though, Sharon decided to leave Patty’s house in order to meet up with friends. And while the 32-year-old never intended to be gone long, she never returned home, and her family never heard from her again.
It is now known that after leaving Patty’s house, Sharon drove 40 minutes to meet her friends at the Cross County Inn in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. At some point during their hangout, though, the 32-year-old eventually left.
According to Sharon’s friends, she was believed to have left to meet up with her ex-husband, Mike – who was in a Cincinnati, Ohio-based biker gang. Then, after the 32-year-old never arrived back in Newtonsville, her family was quick to worry.
Sharon and Mike reportedly had a very tumultuous relationship. She had been married once before to a man named Darryl when she was just 16 years old. It was during the first year of her marriage to Darryl that she also gave birth to Joshua in May of 1983.
Sharon and Darryl’s marriage did not last, though, and the pair were granted a divorce in 1985. Then, a couple of years later, the 32-year-old met Mike.
According to Sharon’s loved ones, her relationship with Mike was stormy and violent. Mike reportedly controlled Sharon’s life, was physically abusive, and got her hooked on prescription drugs.
“She would have bruises, broken bones… she was little, frail, and scared,” Sharon’s sister, Donna Penker, told the press in a 2009 interview.
Mike did have a criminal record, though, and during the early 1990s, he received a three-year prison sentence. So, at that point, Sharon believed she had a chance to sever ties and set herself free.
With the support of her family, Sharon was able to get sober and attempt to start fresh. Once Mike was released from prison, though, patterns continued to repeat themselves. At that point, he convinced Sharon that he had changed, and she ultimately went back to him.
In the beginning, the pair’s relationship did appear to be on the mend, too. They moved to Florida and attempted to start over together. Eventually, though, they moved back to Ohio, and Mike re-entered the motorcycle gang.
At that point, Sharon’s life spiraled again, and she could no longer hold onto her sobriety. Instead, she fell victim to prescription drugs for a second time.
In 1999, though, the 32-year-old was determined to break away for good. And once Mike was sent back to prison again, she had the perfect opportunity.
Sharon asked her family for help to get away from Mike, quit using drugs, and decided to move into her mother’s home. After she finally filed for divorce, though, the 32-year-old was reportedly terrified.
By the time Mike was released from prison in November, these fears only intensified, too. Sharon was afraid that either her ex-husband or one of his motorcycle gang affiliates would try to harm her.
She even told her mother, Patty, that if she ever fell out of contact, then Patty should contact the police and indicate Mike as a suspect. So, after Sharon never returned back home on the evening of November 18, 1999, Patty reported her daughter missing to the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office.
Once receiving the report, investigators did attempt to contact Mike, but he was unable to be located. In fact, it appeared as though both Mike and Sharon had gone missing at the same time.
So, by January of 2000, investigators ran an article in a local newspaper detailing how they were searching for both adults.
After there was no case progress one month later, though, Sharon’s family was adamant that Mike had killed the 32-year-old and gone into hiding.
“We don’t really have that hope that we’re going to get Shari back. In my heart, I don’t really believe she’s still alive,” Patty told the press.
According to Clermont County Sheriff A.J. Rodenberg, though, investigators did not find any evidence suggesting foul play and could not substantiate the theory that Mike had threatened Sharon’s life.
“We’ve got a lot of information, but nothing along the lines of threats on her life can be confirmed,” he said.
Mike was eventually located by authorities, and when questioned, he claimed to have no clue about Sharon’s whereabouts. He also denied playing any part in her disappearance.
So, with no evidence, Sharon’s case soon went cold. However, the rumors surrounding the 32-year-old’s disappearance continued to swirl through the community.
Some claimed that Mike and other motorcycle gang members had killed Sharon and thrown her body into the Ohio River. Others believed that she had been dismembered and discarded in trashbags, while a third theory suggested that Sharon had been buried near the motorcycle gang’s clubhouse.
None of these rumors could ever be substantiated by police evidence, though. So, Sharon’s family– particularly her son, Joshua– have yet to get closure regarding what really happened.
Most recently, in 2020, Joshua retired from the military and decided to devote his time to closing his mother’s case. He took to social media in hopes of raising awareness and urging anyone with information to come forward.
Online, Joshua detailed how his mother had been a loving woman with a heart of gold. He did not have the same sentiments about Mike.
“My stepfather wasn’t an angel by any means. I think there are a few people who know exactly what happened,” Joshua said.
“It’s just one of those things. I need to know.”
At the time of Sharon’s disappearance, she was five foot four, weighed 100 pounds, and had blonde hair and blue eyes. She was last seen wearing a green long-sleeve shirt, blue jeans, and black combat boots. Sharon had the names Josh Michael, Michael Leon, Michael Thomas, and Shari George tattooed on her left shoulder. She would be 56 years old today.
If you have any information regarding Sharon’s case, you are urged to contact the Clermont County Sheriff’s Office at (513) 732-7545.
